Wikipedia:WikiKraken

The WikiKraken (or WikiCracker, in reference to black-hat hacking) is rumored to be a dangerous species of user, who specialize in fraud and may often disguise their vandalism as correct material. The existence cannot be confirmed, because for some reason, WikiKrakens seem to be effective at avoiding being encountered by Wiki-zoologists.

'''Unlike a hockey team, WikiKrakens should never be released. Per WP:NORELEASINGTHEWIKIKRAKEN, one should NEVER release the WikiKraken.'''

History
The WikiKraken is suspected to have descended from kraken, a large Scandinavian mollusc. However, a case of convergent evolution has brought them to highly resemble the troll. WikiKrakens have been hunted ever since they were first conceived, and are supposed to be one of the deadliest WikiFauna.

Habits
The kraken is a colossal species of mollusc believed by cryptozoologists to be an exaggeration of either the giant squid, colossal squid, or giant octopus. It disguises itself as an island, then attacks any sailors foolish enough to land on it. WikiKrakens are said to do a similar thing: they pose false information and WikiHoaxes as real pieces of data. Rarely, they may even cite non-existent sources as a way of decreasing suspicion. They will often use their many tentacles to ensnare their chosen prey and drag it down to the depths.

Hunting WikiKrakens
WikiKrakens are difficult to find (no scientist has found one, after all!), and it is easy to mistake a normal user for one. WikiKrakens are said to attempt to make their info sound as realistic as possible, but they may be easily found if leaving an obvious inconsistency (e.g., putting sexual content on a page about a children's movie). WikiKrakens can then be dealt with as any other vandal – by firing a harpoon directly between their eyes (fortunately, there are easier ways to deal with most other vandals!). Also, WikiKrakens are more likely to use a user account than most vandals.

As the legend goes, WikiDragons used to easily find and hunt WikiKrakens in their domain, using their fiery breath to destroy the hoax before it was even fully confirmed (sometimes leading a WikiKnight hunting the WikiKraken to (mis)interpret the WikiDragon's attack as harmful and hunt the WikiDragon instead, and allowing the WikiKraken to slink back into the sea unnoticed). However, such hunting in that era reduced the WikiDragon population, and WikiDragons no longer commonly attack WikiKrakens.

Biology
The WikiKraken, having a reputation for being destructive and monstrous, has not been formally studied or described by zoologists. As a result, very little is known, and all of it is based upon tales from WikiSailors. It is regarded by many scientists as a complete myth, others as a misidentification of the giant or colossal squid. A few cryptozoologists have searched for the creature and failed, and treat it as a sort of Holy Grail of WikiFauna, to be protected and studied closely.

As rare as the creature is, occasional sightings do occur, but these have always been reported by amateurs who are not professional zoologists. Unconfirmed evidence of a WikiKraken was reported by a large crew of WikiWalers who were "fishing on kraken" on April 1 of 2009, but whether the chaos was actually caused by a WikiKraken remains untold. The telltale WikiKraken was said to have attacked the spokes-Wales of the Shave the Wales campaign. The WikiKraken escaped the scene, but the WikiWalers remained until they were broken up the next day. They were unsuccessful in their hunt, and it is possible that the WikiKraken was killed during the hunt, although most guess that it survived and it went into dormancy.

Good WikiKrakens
It is rumored that a WikiKraken may prove to be helpful rather than destructive. These protagonist WikiKrakens tend to be good at creating jokes without destroying things in the process. Their knowledge of well-done prose may prove to be a valuable WikiSkill. The main difference ends up being an obvious labeling of a hoax, made more to amuse others than to deceive.

Self-identification
Individuals claiming to be WikiKrakens have been known to use the WikiKraken userbox, although it is not fully understood yet why a WikiKraken might choose to self-identify. A different userbox exists for the more harmless variety.